Tag Archives: sixth form

I wanted this to be a quick picture post about Harry’s Sixth Form Prom night. They say every picture tells a story and I think that is especially so in this instance.

There are three classes in Harry’s sixth form, with about ten students per class. All students are invited, along with their families, to a sit-down meal followed by a disco. Attendance at the meal is optional and people can just come along for a dance if they want. This suits those students who have difficulties around eating in public.

DJ Ashley finds a fan

The highlight of the evening for the students is undoubtedly the dancing.

“You look good on the dance floor”

Like last year, Harry couldn’t keep off the dance floor.

Take your partners for the tango!

The more confident boys like asking their teachers to dance.

Grace gets a dance partner

The teachers weren’t the only ones getting asked to dance.

Even the shy ones get up to dance

These guys are best friends and both leave school this year. J finds big social occasions very difficult and his teachers were amazed that he even turned up. A very big deal.

L has fun with a balloon sword

L won this year’s prize for the leaver who most clearly demonstrated the school’s ethos. He had a great time celebrating his achievement at the prom.

Everyone takes to the floor

The evening was scheduled to end at 10pm but dancing went on until 11pm.

A lovely way to end the school year and say goodbye to the class of 2012.

Like this:

We have reached a key stage in Harry’s continuing education. When the current academic year ends in nine weeks’ time he will have only one more year left at his current school.

Harry is 18. When he left his special school at 16 he was lucky enough to secure a sixth-form place at another school very close by. The sixth-form course lasts 3 years and so he is 2/3 of the way through the course.

However, applications to tertiary colleges need to be made well in advance of enrolment. For example, to start in September 2013 applications for places have to be made by the preceding December 2012. And in order to submit an application you need to have trawled through suitable colleges, attended Open Days, made visits and – in some cases – taken your child for assessments.

All of this takes time.

Some colleges hold their Open Days in the autumn which is very close to the application deadline. For this reason you may find yourself attending an Open Day almost 2 years before your child is due to leave school. This is what we found ourselves doing in November 2011.

As part of the decision-making process, parents are required to make an approach to their nearest college of further education, regardless of whether they think that college can meet their child’s needs.

This seems to me to be completely pointless and a waste of everyone’s time.

However, approaches to residential colleges will not even be considered until and unless the nearest local college has been contacted.

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